Toubab Krewe: The Conversation Continues!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xIvX3LWLTI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0F0iToKK1I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkXQosWZnwQ

http://www.jambands.com/features/2006/12/22/a-tale-of-two-continents-with-toubab-krewes-justin-perkins


The Conversation Continues? The conversation? Yes, the conversation between West Africa and America is the conversation to which we refer to here. The musical conversation that started 400 years ago when West Africans were brought to the shores of North America in chains. The conversation to gave us the banjo, jazz and Chuck Berry continues today in the form of a band from Asheville, North Carolina that goes by the name of Toubab Krewe.

Derived from the West African word for "foreigner" (toubab) and the New Orleanian word for the Mardi Gras float teams (Krewe), Toubab Krewe seeks to meld African instrumentation and polyrhythms with their own North American musical upbringing and sensibilities. The group is comprised of Teal Brown (Drums), Drew Heller (guitar and soku), Justin Perkins (guitar, kona, kamel ngoni), David Pransky (bass) and Luke Quaranta (djembe). Early into the new millenium Perkins and Heller made a trip to West Africa to research musical styles, particularly in Mali. In 1999 Quaranta and Teal had gone to Guinea with a similar prerogative. By 2005 the four, plus Pransky had teamed up to become the Toubab Krewe.

Employing a mix between conventional electrical musical instruments such as drums, guitar and bass as well as traditional West African stringed instruments such as the soku, kona and the ngoni provides a fusion of polyrhythmic sounds upon which percussion instruments like the djembe and ashiko can play off. The result is a harmonic stew of rhythm and riff upon which almost anything can happen -- and often does. It is a musical medley that lends itself to inspired improvisation that is best appreciated in the live performance.

And the live performances are indeed dynamic. Absent of vocals or any of the conventional trappings or structures of mainstream music a group such as this is free to build up its instrumental foundation and harmonies which in turn allows a platform for individuals to fill space with ethereal harmonics, searing guitar riffs and trance inducing, pulsating percussions. The effect on the listener is to draw them into their space and to transport them into the above mentioned musical conversation between Africa and America.

The band has been well received in both continents as witnessed by their solid touring schedule. They have graced most of North America's larger jamband music festivals from Langerado to Wakarusa to 10,000 Lakes to Bonnaroo as well as a prestigious invite to Mali's Festival of the Desert in January of 2007. As well, they maintain a steady stream of club dates throughout the southern and eastern states of the U.S. They are currently touring the southeast from their base in North Carolina on up to Virginia and D.C.

If you are interested in finding their music for listening, their self titled 2007 release can be found at http://www.toubabkrewe.com/ as well as their 2008 live recording "Live at the Orange Peel". For a full on dose of the Toubab Krewe experience, though, it would be recommended that you seek out the bootleg recordings found at http://www.archive.org/details/ToubabKrewe ...check out, in particular, a 2007 recording at Philadelphia's World Cafe -- it is a comprehensive exposition of the band at their best and it is an outstanding recording.

Looking for some intelligent and refreshing conversation for a change? Well come on down and join the Krewe for the latest addition to a conversation that has been going on for 400 years!

One Love,
RasIanI